This is excellent news. Having read her book, as well as Richard Evans’ account of the trial, Lying About Hitler: History, Holocaust, and the David Irving Trial, I had always thought that the story of David Irving’s ill-fated attempt to silence Professor Lipstadt by suing her for libel in the U.K., whose libel laws are notoriously plaintiff-friendly, would make an excellent movie. It has it all: Drama, fighting against long odds, and, above all, a villain who is a caricature of the worst of British blowhards, David Irving. (On second thought, it doesn’t have romance; hopefully the producers won’t try to add a cheesy romantic subplot…)

I realize that optioning the rights to a book is a long way from actually shooting a movie and that many are the stories whose rights are optioned that never find their way onto film. Even so, I don’t think it’s too early to start making casting suggestions. Even though it’s a very obvious choice, I vote Meryl Streep to play Professor Lipstadt. However, that leaves the question of who could play David Irving. Irving himself, in a characteristically lame attempt at humor, has suggested John Cleese to play Lipstadt. How droll, Mr. Irving, and, no, Anthony Hopkins is not a good option to play you, unless he does it as Hannibal Lecter, although Jack Nicholson might be a good option if he’s in full The Shining mode. However, having John Cleese play Irving would make sense, especially if he does it in his full-out Basil Fawlty mode. I could totally picture that. Or maybe Rowan Atkinson.

But, hey, that’s just me. What about you? Who should play David Irving in a movie about the Lipstadt trial?

Really now, it’s gotta be Jim Carrey for the full-on irony factor. He can do his semi-retarded “nutty professor” imitation and we can find a role for a certain buxom blonde too. C’mon. Dude had the chops to play the Grinch . . .

If you people actually want a serious movie, which does the book justice, as opposed to just mocking Irving (a fine sport in its own right) – well, Patrick Stewart is a very, very good actor, and quite capable of playing a convincing and serious villain. And while I can empathize with people who don’t want their favorite actor associated with Irving, a good movie needs a villain played by a good actor.

Rowan Atkinson and John Clese are also capable of playing serious villains, but not, I think, to the extent that Patrick Stewart is.

Oh, don’t give all the good roles to Streep! After all, given that no fancy accents or period dress are required here, we should give some other actress a shot. Jennifer Connelly’s got the chops, and she’d be willing to wear a short auburn wig for the part, I’m sure.

Sadly, the ideal choice died seven years ago, the magnificent James Gregory — “Sen. Johnny Iselin” from THE MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE. But you have to pick a major character and a good actor for the movie to have the effect we all want. (Another obvious choice were he still aline would have been Nigel Hawthorne from YES, MINISTER.)

I’m tempted to suggest Davuid Jason, but I tend to thinbk he can do anything. (But for Lipstadt it HAS tio be Glenn Close, as good as Streep is.)

The movie has to be as much about Irving as Lipstadt. In fact, if I were writing or directing it (hahaha) I would make it so that someone who left halfway through and knew nothing about it from reviews would think it was pro-Irving, then the last half would show his gradual but complete demolition.

I hope the person who said “Hugh Laurie can do British” was joking- he doesn’t “do British” as he is roughly as British as humanly possible. His father won a Gold Medal in rowing in the 1948 Olympics, he was born in Oxford, and went to Eton then Cambridge…

Then again I can’t really blame you given how absolutely flawless his accent is in House.

more importantly than the accent, he needs to be instantly recognizeable. He has to be redeable as a good debater since it is a serious subject and the court talks go pretty ugly (especially between him and Richard J. Evans)

how bout
James Garner or Robert Duvall
(FYI Kurt Russel would make a great Richard Evans)

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